A national Ca tru (ceremonial singing) festival will be organised inHanoi from August 26 – 29 with the participation of nearly 30 Ca truclubs from 12 provinces and cities in a bid to preserve theUNESCO-recognised cultural heritage item.

At a press briefing in Hanoi on August 19, the chief director ofthe event musician Dang Hoanh Loan said young artists will dominate thefestival in stead of elders, which signals a renaissance of thetime-honoured art.

They are encouraged to perform Ca tru in their own ways, the composer added.

Ca tru, also known as Hat a dao, was recognised by UNESCO as anIntangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in October2009.

It is an ancient type ofmusic featuring female vocalists. It is a complex form of poetry foundin the north of Vietnam using lyrics written in traditionalVietnamese poetic forms.

Ca trugroups comprise of three performers: a female singer who uses breathingtechniques and vibrations to create unique sounds while playing theclappers or striking a wooden box, and two instrumentalists who producethe deep tones of a three-stringed lute and the strong sounds of aceremonial drum.

Ca tru singingappeared in the north around the 15th century and thrived until theearly 20th century. Since then, it has lost popularity to modernrecreational forms and cultural activities.

This kind of singing is now practised in 15 provinces and cities across Vietnam.-VNA